Director Lee Isaac Chung is exiting the “Ocean’s 11” prequel over “creative differences.”
Margot Robbie’s company LuckyChap is producing the film for Warner Bros. She’s also starring in the movie opposite Bradley Cooper. Chung, best known for “Twisters” and the Oscar-nominated “Minari,” is the second filmmaker to depart the project after Jay Roach, who was originally hired to direct.
“This is an amicable split due to creative differences,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement.
Then in a joint statement, Warner Bros. and LuckyChap called Chung a “singular filmmaking talent whose vision and partnership have been invaluable to Warner Bros. and LuckyChap throughout this journey.” They added, “Our experience with him has only deepened our enthusiasm to collaborate on future projects together.”
Carrie Solomon is working on the screenplay, which — based on earlier reports — is expected to take place in 1960s Europe. Although plot details haven’t been confirmed, the storyline is expected to take place before the events of Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven,” starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts as con artists who rob a Las Vegas casino. A critical and commercial darling, “Oceans” inspired two sequels as well as the female-led “Ocean’s Eight” reboot with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna. Of course, those movies were based on 1960’s “Ocean’s 11,” featuring five members of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack.
Warner Bros. is in the process of being sold to Paramount Skydance, which means the fate of future films is uncertain. However, Paramount’s CEO David Ellison has pledged to release 30 films a year once the two media giants become one, meaning they’ll need a lot of new material to fill out their theatrical slates.
News of Chung’s departure was first reported by Deadline.
